


Brothermine

by Fyre



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2019-12-25 12:14:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18261065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyre/pseuds/Fyre
Summary: Seventeen years apart and some things never change.





	1. Lessons

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, should have seen this coming. Haven't ficced in ages and now, two new fandoms within a month. Welcome back, brain.
> 
> Also, I have so many wee ideas for "one small change for plot, one giant leap for plot kind" fics. Stupid brain. Welcome back, but you're also overexcited. Calm down.

“You’ve got four strings.” Vanya plucked each one. “G, D, A and E.”

The man – Leonard – nodded. He was sitting opposite her, watching intently. It felt kind of weird. Not bad weird. Just… not normal. It wasn’t like she avoided spending time alone with other adults. It just… kind of didn’t happen often.

“And you press the strings to change the note, right?” He lifted his eyes from the violin to her face. “Like a guitar?”

Vanya nodded. “Different placements for different notes.” She shifted the violin to hold it like a guitar and plucked out a scale. “Don’t worry about getting the fingering right straight away. You get used to it with practise.”

He held out his hand. “Can I try?”

She hesitated, remembering that jarring chord. “Gently,” she warned.

Leonard nodded obediently, taking it as if it was made of glass and plucking each string in turn.

He needed his own violin, she knew. Her skin felt too tight and her hands were itching to snatch it back off him, which was crazy. It was just a violin. Only… only it was the one good thing she had taken with her when she walked away from the Academy. The one thing she was good enough for.

“Can you use a pick?” 

Vanya blinked, forcing her attention back to her pupil. “What?”

“A pick?” Leonard grinned at her and mimed strumming. 

“Uh… well, I never tried it.” She got up and walked over to the case to fetch the bow. “Here. I’ll show you how to–”

The air crackled and she swung around, as Leonard shot to his feet.

“Holy shit!”

Five was standing by the stove, his arms folded. He arched an eyebrow at her, then looked Leonard up and down. “Who the hell is this guy?”

“I told you I had lessons!” 

Five’s lip curled. “Kind of big for a five year old, isn’t he?” He jerked his head towards the door. “Run along, buddy. I need to talk to my sister.”

“Five!” Vanya held a hand out to Leonard. “I’m sorry about this, Leonard. Give me a sec–”

Leonard didn’t even seem to notice her. “You–” He was staring at Five. “My God. You’re Five.”

Vanya’s heart dropped like a rock. Of course he knew about the Academy. Anyone who had eyes and ears and lived through the 90s knew about the academy.

“Well done. You can repeat a name,” Five said impatiently. “Now, if you don’t mind running along?” He gestured to the door. “I’m sure you’ve got a lot of exciting things you can be doing with your life.”

Vanya managed to catch the violin before Leonard dropped it on the chair and she held it close, like it would make things easier. It had in the past. God, even her regular life was getting dragged back into the craziness.

“You disappeared!” Leonard said excitedly, hurrying towards Five. “We heard about it! And you… Jesus…” He stopped dead and Vanya could imagine the expression on his face. She’d seen it thousands of times before, from a distance. “God, you look exactly the same.”

Five’s eyebrows rose even higher and he leaned sideways to give Vanya a pointed look, before smiling widely at Leonard. “Wow, you don’t miss a thing, do you?” He swung around, grabbing a handful of chocolate-covered raisins from the bowl on the counter and tossed one into his mouth. “You got any more astonishing revelations or are you gonna take a hint and…” He whistled and jerked his thumb towards the door.

“Five!” Vanya forced herself to set down the violin. “Leave him alone.” She hurried to Leonard’s side. “We should reschedule.” She caught his arm, steering him towards the door. “I’m sorry about him. He’s…” She glanced back at her brother, who gave her a cheery wave and tossed another raisin into his mouth. “A jerk.” 

To her surprise, Five looked away, lips twitching.

“Are you sure…?” Leonard was staring back at Five, then at her. “I mean, I could stay.”

“I don’t think that’s a good–”

The air crackled and Five was by the door, opening it. “Bye, Larry.”

Leonard’s face fell. “It’s Leonard.”

Five shrugged. “I don’t care.” He pointed out into the hall. “Bye.”

Leonard’s expression twisted up into a scowl.

“I’m sorry about him,” Vanya said hastily, following Leonard out into the hall. She hesitated then touched his arm. “It isn’t you. It’s– he’s…”

“He’s one of them,” Leonard said with a snort. “Superheroes. Never meet your heroes, right?” He ran a hand over his face. “I– it’s better if I go.” He looked like he was trying to smile, but it was forced. “Another time, maybe?”

She tried to smile back. “Of course. I’m so sorry about this.”

He nodded, shooting a dark look into the apartment, then walked away.

Vanya sighed and ran a hand over her face, then turned back into the apartment. Five was sprawled on his back on the couch, tossing raisins into his mouth one by one.

“I have to make a living, Five,” she said reproachfully.

“With everything that’s coming?” He raised his eyebrows. “I think the world can live without Larry–”

“Leonard.”

“–Leonard and his midlife crisis music lessons, don’t you?”

Vanya rubbed at her forehead. “I forgot how annoying you can be.”

He flashed a grin at her, the same grin that had convinced her that sure, she could fit a whole jelly donut in her mouth in one go. She’d puked all over him and he had laughed until he cried. “Old habits die hard, sis.”

She sat down on the end of the couch, shoving his feet to the side. “What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you wanted to get some rest.”

His grin wavered. “Yeah…” He sighed. “Not so much.” He dropped his head back against the arm of the couch and tossed up a raisin, catching it in his mouth. He was quiet for a long time, then murmured, “I can’t just sit and wait. Not when I know what’s going to happen.” He tilted his head to look at her. “Even if you don’t believe me.”

She gazed at him, remembering all those nights when he snuck through the wall to share marshmallows with her or listen to her rehearse or even just sit and watch the snow fall with her. So many dumb little things that didn’t seem important at the time.

“Why is it so important what I believe?”

He smiled sadly at her and knocked the toe of his shoe against her elbow. “Because if you don’t, who will?”

For a second, the tension and lines and age in his expression were gone and it was like nothing had changed. 

Vanya reached out and caught his hand. “What can I do to help?”

He uncurled his fingers to thread them between hers. “Want to help me save the world?”

Her lips trembled, but she managed a smile. “Well, you just cancelled my four o’clock,” she said. “I guess my schedule is clear.”

His expression broke her heart all over again. “Good,” he whispered. “Good.”


	2. Dolores

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If all goes to plan, this looks like it'll turn into a full season rewrite o.0

Vanya was tired.

They’d ended up talking for a long time. 

A lot of what Five was saying sounded incredible, almost unbelievable, but then they’d grown up with a boy with massive tentacles in his chest. It made a lot of things a lot more plausible, even if she could see Five was getting frustrated with her questions and suggestions.

“Tried it,” he said again. “Hell, I paid Klaus to play my father this afternoon to get them to talk.”

Vanya couldn’t help giggling at the thought. “Klaus?”

One side of Five’s mouth twitched up. “Yeah. Put him one of dad’s suits and made him play nice.”

“How’d that turn out?”

Five swayed his hand from side to side. “He smashed a snowglobe in his own face and terrified the shit out of the guy.”

“That… sounds like Klaus.”

“But he gave us the information he had.” Five sighed. “It was useless.”

Vanya winced. “I’m sorry.”

He waved her words away. “It’s not like it’s your fault.” He pushed himself upright on the couch. “I need to think. There has to be something. I need to talk to…” A strange expression crossed his face, then he leapt off the couch. The air crackled and he was gone.

Vanya rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. “Normal people say goodbye!” she called out to the room at large. As usual, there was no reply. 

She retreated to the bathroom after locking up the apartment. 

Everything he’d said had got under her skin. It felt safer to be securely locked in, away from anyone or anything that might cause the apocalypse.

She turned on the shower and stood under the steaming stream until the water started running cold. There was something calming about the steady rumble of the water hitting the tub and she turned slowly under the spray, trying to make sense of everything that Five had told her.

End of the world. Enemy with a glass eye. Apocalyptic cities with no living people.

God, she wanted to believe him, if only to know he wasn’t losing his mind, but if she believed him and that was the world that was coming, how was it any better?

She was towelling herself dry when she heard a clatter from the other room. Her heart stuttered. The door was locked. Windows too. Only one person it could be. “Five?”

“Yeah.” 

Vanya sighed with relief, pulling on her pyjamas and hurrying through to the living room. The lights were off, but she could see Five silhouetted against the window. She hurried forward, reaching for the light switch by the door.

A hand caught her by the leg.

“HOLY SHIT!” Vanya shrieked, flailing.

The hand – and the arm and torso connected to it – fell off the couch and clattered onto the floor. It sounded like it was made of plastic or wood or something that was definitely not human flesh.

“What the hell–?”

“Shut up!” Five’s voice was barely more than a hiss. “Leave the lights off and pick Dolores off the floor!”

Dolores?

Vanya groped blindly on the floor. Now that she could touch it, it felt like part of a mannequin. Torso, arms and head. Some clothes as well from the feel of it. She gingerly picked it up, wondering if it was from the prosthetics place and whether Five realised that stealing from people with disabilities was a bad thing.

“What’s going on?” she demanded in a whisper.

Five didn’t reply right away. It felt like an hour crawled by, then he sighed, stepped back from the window and switched on the lamp. “They fell for it.”

Vanya frowned. “They…?” she inquired, shifting the mannequin in her arms. It looked like something from any department store, brand new except for some small cracks on the head. No wig, but it had a blouse hanging halfway off one shoulder.

Five crossed the floor and snatched the mannequin out of her grasp to set it on the table. There was something tender about the way he straightened the blouse up and brushed a smudge of dust off of its face. “Some old… associates of mine. No one you want to meet.”

Vanya folded her arms uneasily. “You don’t think I should know?”

He hesitated, then straightened up. “The less you know about them, the better.” He turned back to face her and now, she saw the spatter of red on his face.

“Jesus! Five! You– why are you covered in blood? Again?”

He forced a tight smile. “Like I said, no one you want to meet.” He grimaced, then glanced down at his sleeve. “Do you have any thread? And needles?”

She nodded at once. “Sure.” She hurried back into her bedroom, digging through her drawers. There was a small box of sewing equipment, even though she couldn’t remember the last time she’d used it. She carried it back through, poking through the threads. “I think I have thread the same colour as…”

Five had his jacket and his shirt off.

The blood on his face was nothing compared to the blood that was streaked down his arm from a wound just below his shoulder, dripping all the way to his fingertips. The wound was open, fresh bubbles of blood rippling out as he tilted his arm to examine it.

Vanya swayed where she stood, horrified and mesmerised. “What happened?”

He flashed that same tight smile at her again as he pressed his handkerchief over the wound. “This is what happens when you try and get on the wrong side of history.” He snapped his fingers. “Thread! Needle! I don’t want to lose any more blood than I already have.”

“Oh!” Vanya nodded. “I- I’ll boil some water. Sterilise it. I don’t want you to get an infection.” He looked so bemused that she frowned as she turned on the burner. “What?”

“It’s been a while since someone gave a shit about me.” He shrugged with a smaller smile. “I mean, apart from Dolores.”

Vanya glanced over at the mannequin. Years ago, their dad had said time travel messed up peoples’ brains and now, Five was talking to broken shop display models? But he was also covered in blood and all shot up, which definitely wasn’t his mind playing tricks on him. 

“She’s your… uh… friend?”

When Five looked at the mannequin, he suddenly looked every bit of his apparently fifty-eight years. “My one and only,” he murmured. He turned back to Vanya. “You’ll like her. She tells me when I’m talking bullshit and when I need to slow down.”

“And you actually listen to her?” Vanya hoped she didn’t sound as worried as she felt, “That’s new.”

Five laughed ruefully. “What can I say? I got soft in my old age?”

“Bullshit.” Vanya said before she could stop herself.

Five raised his eyebrows in amusement and looked back at Dolores. “Oh, you’re ganging up on me now?”

Vanya had to turn back to the stove, biting her lower lip. If he _was_ crazy, then he was going to need her help even more than she initially thought.


	3. Rehearsal

“I can’t come with you.”

Five lowered the mug that was halfway to his lips. “Can’t?”

Vanya hastily held up a hand. “Not right away. I have to go to rehearsal. We have a concert in a few days and–”

Five’s eyebrows pulled down into a tight line. “And that’s more important to you right now?”

Vanya fought the urge to sigh as she got up off the couch. “Do we even have a plan? If we know what we’re going to do…” She trailed off. There was no plan and both of them knew it. He’d tried to find the information he needed and got nowhere.

He slammed the mug down on the counter, coffee splashing over his fingers. “That’s not the point!” he snarled through gritted teeth. “I– we– this isn’t just going to fix itself, Vanya! Don’t you get it? We need to do _something_.”

“I get it! I do!” She spread her hands helplessly. “I don’t see how me missing rehearsals is going to help right now. We don’t have a plan and if I don’t go to rehearsals and have nothing to distract me, I’ll spend the whole time worrying about it and you know how I get.”

Five exhaled, then nodded. “You’re right. Last thing I need is you vibrating beside me and distracting me.” He turned the mug clockwise, then back again. “You go. Rehearse. If I figure anything out, I’ll leave a note with the doorman at the theatre to let you know where you can find me.”

She reached across the counter to squeeze his hand around the mug. “Thank you.”

He rolled his eyes, but she could see the smile he was fighting. “For saving myself from a twitching sister? I did it for myself.”

She made a face at him. “Sure.”

To her surprise, he made a face back at her, then the air crackled and his hand vanished from beneath hers along with the rest of him.

She gazed down at the ring of coffee he’d left behind – he’d taken the mug – and dipped a fingertip into it then doodled a smiley face in the middle. As much as an asshole as he could be, he was still one of the people who knew her – or had known her – best. And if he was an asshole, it wasn’t just to her. It was to–

“Shit! Four o’clock guy!”

She ran across the room to her diary and leafed through the pages. Thank god he’d left a number, so she could at least try and reschedule or make an appointment. Maybe it would have to wait until after the end of the world, but he deserved an apology at least.

It took four rings before anyone picked up. “Hello?”

“Uh…” Her mouth went dry. God, it was all such a mess and she didn’t even know how to start explaining. “Uh. It’s Vanya. Vanya Hargreeves. I’m looking for… Leonard?”

She heard someone catch a breath. “Oh! Hi! Yeah, it’s me. It’s Leonard.”

There was a long silence, then both of them spoke at once:

“I wanted to apol–”

“Is everything o–”

They both laughed awkwardly. 

“You first?” she offered.

“Uh. Sure. Is everything okay? I mean… that thing… with your brother? Are you okay?”

She glanced across the living room at the mannequin sitting on her table. “Just family stuff.” She hesitated, then said, “I wanted to say sorry about him. He’s– it’s been a while and he’s never been a people person, you know?”

Leonard laughed. “Don’t worry about it. Superheroes, right? Acting like they’re God’s gift.”

She found herself nodding. “Anyway, I wanted to see if you wanted to reschedule a lesson. I mean, I don’t blame you if you don’t want to, but I can make room for you in about a week if you’d–”

“Yes! Of course!” He laughed, sounding as awkward as she felt and cleared his throat. “I mean… uh… that would be fine. I guess.”

She couldn’t help laughing too. “Very casual.”

“I thought so.” He was quiet for a second. “Are– is– the Umbrella Academy thing. You’re… not like that, are you?”

It was still like a slap in the face every time. “No.” She sat down on the arm of the couch. “I’m… just me.”

“Oh good!” He sounded relieved. 

“So…” She shifted on the arm of the couch. “When would you like a raincheck?”

“You said it would have to be next week?”

Vanya nodded. “I’ve got rehearsals for a concert at the Icarus. It’s taking up most of my time.”

“Oh. Sure. Of course.”

“What day works best for you?”

It took them several minutes, trying to match up the open teaching slots in her diary with the days when he wasn’t working, but they eventually figured something out.

It wasn’t until she hung up that she noticed the time.

She was already running much later than planned and a missed bus meant she was out of breath and twenty minutes late when she finally ran into the rehearsal. It was a little bit of regular embarrassment, almost enough to make her feel like things were back to normal.

It was crazy, though. 

As much as she wanted to focus on the music, all she could think about was what was going on with Five. It felt like she was moving on autopilot and at least all the rehearsing at home was helping, because they didn’t call her out for playing like she was a thousand miles away.

She checked with the doorman when they were taking a break, but there was no word, and by the time rehearsal finished up, she was starting to worry. To distract herself, she tried to make nice with Helen, the first chair, but even that backfired.

It was a bad day to be related to a superhero, she thought wearily, as she gathered up her things and headed out into the street. She had no idea where Five could be. Best bet was to try home first and if he wasn’t there, then head back in the direction of the Academy in case he’d shown up there, but if he wasn’t there, she wasn’t sure where to look. 

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t see the guy walking out of the box office until she slammed into him, sending them both staggering.

“Oh God!” She caught herself against the wall with one hand, reaching out with the other to steady the man. “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay!” The man was laughing as he straightened up. “Oh! Hey! Vanya!”

Vanya stared. “Leonard?”

Leonard waved a hand with a sheepish smile. “Guilty.”

She shook her head, confused. “What… what are you doing here?”

“Oh! Right!” He started groping in his pockets. “God, I’m sorry. It must like I’m stalking you or something.” He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “You said you had a concert here. I wanted to get a ticket for your big show.” He beamed at her. “Check out my competition.”

Vanya couldn’t help smiling. “That’s really… sweet.”

Leonard winced. “Weird. You were gonna say weird, weren’t you?” He groaned. “Yeah, it’s weird. I come down here and buy a ticket and you don’t even know me and God, I’m such an idiot.”

It had crossed her mind, but she shook her head at once. “No! Of course not. I just– it’s not like I have a big solo or anything.” She shrugged. “I’m only play third chair and you won’t even really be able to hear me that well, so…”

“But you’re so _good_!”

She snorted. “And how would you know that?”

“I was standing in your stairwell for ten minutes listening to you rehearse, that’s…” His eyes went wide. “I mean… that… uh. No reason. A guess?”

For a moment, the knot of tension sitting under her ribs eased. “Yeah?”

He gave her a small, lop-sided smile. “Only a little.” He gazed at her, which was enough to make her shift from foot to foot nervously. “Are you okay? You look kind of tired.”

She shook her head with a crooked smile. “Family stuff is all.” Out of habit, she was squeezing the strap of her violin case and her palms were aching. “I’m– it was great to run into you, but I– I have to go. I–” She shrugged helplessly. “There’s more family stuff. I really should…”

“Oh, no, sure!” He stepped back as if he’d been holding her there. “You go.” He smiled at her and for a second, it made her hesitate. She was only a few steps away when he called after her, “Vanya!”

She turned, glancing back. “Yeah?”

He was still smiling. “Maybe we… I don’t know… could go for coffee? I mean, when you have some more time? And you show me how you play a chair?” 

She had the weirdest feeling of the world being pulled out from under her feet. “Huh?”

“You said you played the third chair?” He widened his eyes. “I thought you were meant to play the violin.”

She tried to stop herself laughing. “I think you were right about the weird,” she said with a small smile. “Bye, Leonard.”

“What about the coffee?” he called after her hopefully.

“Maybe. If you can play the table.”

It was crazy, but somehow it brightened her mood. She was still smiling when she got home, right up until the moment she opened the door of her apartment. When she’d left the building that morning, Dolores was on the counter. Now, she was gone.

Vanya peered around, keys clutched in her hand. “Five? Are you here?”

No one replied and the knot tightened back up in her belly. If he’d come back and taken the mannequin, then maybe he didn’t plan on coming back again. He’d made it pretty clear that Dolores was important to him and clearly she was important enough for him to take her with him. 

Only Dolores. 

Vanya wished she was surprised, but the rejection was more familiar than she wanted to admit.

She set her violin down on the couch. The least she could do was check at the academy. After all, he’d come to her injured twice. Better to be sure there wouldn’t be a third time.


End file.
